San Angelo Central tops Abilene High in 3-5A baseball opener

ABILENE —Too many mistakes and missed opportunities doomed the Abilene High Eagles in their District 3-5A baseball opener Tuesday against the San Angelo Central Bobcats.

Central took advantage of five AHS errors, scoring six unearned runs, and held on for an 8-5 victory at Blackburn Field. Abilene High failed to score after loading the bases with one out in the sixth before getting three runs out of a similar opportunity in the seventh only to have Central's Miles Gully wrap up a complete game with the tying run on deck.

"Any time you get one on the road, you'll definitely take it," Central coach Chad Krempin said. "We play pretty well at home, at least we have the last couple of years. So if we can get one on the road, we feel good about it.

"We really haven't played well the last 10 days or so. We played pretty good early, then we struggled and we struggled today. We've got to clear up some of that stuff. I don't think we're a bad ball team, but we've made a lot of mistakes lately. To win a game in district to start it off is good."

Abilene High coach Scottie Sanchez said it was easy to pinpoint the Eagles' problems. Now comes the task of fixing them.

"The mistakes were so glaring and so obvious that if we eliminate one or two of those, it's possibly a different outcome," he said. "What I did see was a team that didn't quit, that really played the last three innings well. Maybe that's the starting point for us. We know it's close.

"We know if we're going to be a team that's going to compete, that it's got to happen this week. We've got to start to turn the corner."

Central (8-5 overall, 1-0 district) scored two runs in the second and two in the fourth before breaking the game open with a four-run fifth. The Bobcats loaded the bases with no outs against AHS starter Luke Anderson (1-2). After an error extended the inning, Zach Lara delivered the big blow with a two-run double off reliever Paul Simmons.

Josh Huddleson and Chris Gomos, who had a triple, each went 2 for 3 to lead Central's 10-hit attack. Jordan Minjarez, Marshall Miller and Nick Barron each had a double for the Bobcats.

Phillip Mendez and Alex Wooliscroft both went 2 for 4 for the Eagles (3-10, 0-1).

Abilene High loaded the bases with a third-strike passed ball and two walks in the sixth, but Gully (2-2) got Mitchell Golden and Michael Gonzales looking to end the threat. In the seventh, three singles loaded the bases with Anthony Carriola getting a sacrifice fly and Jared Jacques following with a two-run double before Gully got Gibson Aguirre to ground out to end the game.

"We left the bases loaded two or three times," Sanchez said. "We had pressure on them in each and every inning and we didn't capitalize as we hoped we would.

"We're certainly not going to panic, but we're also aware that we've got some improvement to make."

Gully gave up five runs, all earned, on eight hits. He walked seven and struck out four, three in the final two innings.

"We've got another couple of guys who are pretty good and we thought about going to them," Krempin said. "It's just (Gully's) stuff. He's got a really good change-up and he keeps it away from those (right-handed batters). We were hoping he could get through there and he did. He found a way."